What a day! - 4/7/05

Yellow-throated Warbler, an uncommon Central Park visitor

FLASH!!! This just in from Lloyd Spitalnik:

I just received a call from Tom Fiore, where he and at least a dozen other people are enjoying a Yellow-throated Warbler in Central Park. The bird is located at the Laupot Bridge which runs across the end of the Gill in the Ramble. Hopefully it will stick around until at least tomorrow

.




Blue-gray Gnatcatcher [Looks like a miniature mockingbird]

Today, an amazing arrival of spring migrants, and also of migratory spring birdwatchers. Chris Cooper shows up like clockwork at the beginning of April. A great birder, he'll be around until the end of May, racing around the Ramble, hunting intensely for each new bird. I'm just as happy to run into Chris each spring as I am the first blue-grey gnatcatcher. Which by the way, is on today's list. Not on the list below: a Green Heron, reported by Bob Brooks early this morning near the Upper Lobe. Also seen yesterday, a rare sighting -- a sleeping whip-poor-will, found near the Azalea Pond in the Ramble. And best of all --- four [count 'em 4] warbler species.




SITE; Central Park
DATE; Thursday, 4/7/05
OBSERVERS; Chris Cooper, Bob, Richard Lieberman, Dina
Benhur, Marcus, Pat Pollock, and others
REPORTED BY; Pat Pollock

HIGHLIGHTS;

AMERICAN BITTERN - flew up, circled and headed north
from Turtle Pond about 9 am or so (seen by Chris
Cooper, Bob and me)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - east end Turtle Pond
Louisiana Waterhrushes - 2, 1 Balc. Br. singing, 1
Hernshead
Pine Warblers - Great Lawn, east of Turtle Pond
Palm Warblers - Gr. Lawn
Yellow-rumped warbler - T. Pond
Red-breasted Nuthatch - eastern Pinetum
Great Egret
Cooper's Hawk - over Gr. Lawn
American Kestral - " " "
Field sparrow - Main. Fld. - Richard Lieberman, Dina
Phoebe
Swamp sparrows
Winter wren - Shak. garden
Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets
Song sps.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
No. Flickers